Flex Wing Mower

ABSTRACT

A mowing machine may include a central cutting deck generally disposed in a neutral mowing plane and a wing cutting deck pivotable with respect to the central cutting deck. A main gearbox may be connected to a wing gearbox by a wing driveline. The main gearbox may be disposed a sufficient distance forward of the central cutting deck and the wing cutting deck to permit the wing cutting deck to pivot about a hinge in a range of motion without disconnecting the wing driveline from either the main gearbox or the wing gearbox.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/755,610 filed Nov. 5, 2018, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

This application relates generally to pull-behind mowing machines.

BACKGROUND

The mowing of brush and grass may be undertaken for a variety of reasonsranging from aesthetics to health and welfare concerns. For example, apiece of land may need to be cleared or cleaned up for the developmentor the reduction of conditions that are conducive to rodent and pesthabitation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,640 discloses a rotary mower with five blade sets.The center cutter is mounted on a center section of the mower, while twowings on opposite sides of the center section carry two cutters each.The wing sections are mounted on opposite sides of the center section byhinges. The hinges are parallel and extend in the direction of travel toallow the wings to be folded up for transport purposes. The main gearboxis located on the center section, and the driveline that connects themain gearbox to a gearbox on each wing section overlies the respectivehinge and wing section. That arrangement would limit the downward rangeof motion of each wing section with respect to the center section.

One challenge encountered in mowing operations is that presented byuneven terrain. In such terrain, there may be steep inclines that canpresent a roll-over hazard for the mowing machine, especially forsmaller machines. Such hazardous situations arise for many individualson farms, residential areas, roadsides, and other such places where theindividual is likely to be using a tractor to do such mowing. Steepditches and hedge rows are but a few of the situations these individualsmay encounter where uneven terrain may present a challenge to mowingsafely. There is a need for an improved mowing machine that may safelyaccommodate uneven terrain.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a mowing machine configured to be pulled by atractor in a direction of travel along a longitudinal axis of the mowingmachine may include a frame; a main gearbox mounted to a forward portionof the frame, the main gearbox configured for coupling to a powertakeoff of the tractor; a central cutting deck mounted to a rear portionof the frame and spaced apart from the main gearbox, the central cuttingdeck being generally disposed in a neutral mowing plane; a centralgearbox mounted to the central cutting deck and coupled to the maingearbox with a central driveline, the central gearbox being operablycoupled to a central cutting blade; a wing cutting deck pivotallyconnected to the central cutting deck or the frame via a hinge; a winggearbox mounted to the wing cutting deck and coupled to the main gearboxwith a wing driveline, the wing gearbox being operably coupled to a wingcutting blade; at least one wheel supporting the central cutting deck;and at least one wheel supporting the wing cutting deck; wherein themain gearbox is disposed a sufficient distance forward of the centralcutting deck and the wing cutting deck to permit the wing cutting deckto pivot about the hinge in a range of motion from a maximum downwardangle with respect to the neutral mowing plane to a maximum upward anglewith respect to the neutral mowing plane without disconnecting the wingdriveline from either the main gearbox or the wing gearbox; and whereinthe central cutting deck comprises a planform shape that permitsclearance of the wing driveline with respect to the central cutting deckduring a downward portion of the range of motion wherein at least aportion of the wing driveline is disposed below the neutral mowingplane. In some embodiments, the wing driveline and the wing gearbox maybe operable to drive the wing cutting blade throughout the range ofmotion. In some embodiments, the maximum downward angle may be betweenabout 30 degrees and about 90 degrees. In some embodiments, the maximumupward angle may be about 90 degrees. In some embodiments, the wingcutting deck may be oriented at a non-orthogonal sweep angle withrespect to the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the wing cuttingdeck may include a swept forward orientation. In some embodiments, thecentral cutting deck may be disposed at about ⅔ to about ¾ of a distancefrom the main gearbox to the wing cutting deck. In some embodiments, thewing cutting deck may include a first wing cutting deck disposed on afirst side of the longitudinal axis, and the mowing machine may furtherinclude: a second wing cutting deck disposed on an opposite side of thelongitudinal axis from the first wing cutting deck, the second wingcutting deck pivotally connected to the central cutting deck or theframe about a second hinge; a second wing gearbox mounted to the secondwing cutting deck and coupled to the main gearbox with a second wingdriveline, the second wing gearbox being operably coupled to a secondwing cutting blade; and at least one wheel supporting the second wingcutting deck; wherein the main gearbox is disposed a sufficient distanceforward of the central cutting deck and the second wing cutting deck topermit the second wing cutting deck to pivot about the second hinge in asecond range of motion from the maximum downward angle with respect tothe neutral mowing plane to the maximum upward angle with respect to theneutral mowing plane without disconnecting the second wing drivelinefrom either the main gearbox or the second wing gearbox; and wherein thecentral cutting deck comprises a planform shape that permits clearanceof the second wing driveline with respect to the central cutting deckduring a downward portion of the second range of motion wherein at leasta portion of the second wing driveline is disposed below the neutralmowing plane.

In some embodiments, a mowing machine configured to be pulled by atractor in a direction of travel along a longitudinal axis of the mowingmachine may include a frame; a main gearbox mounted to a forward portionof the frame, the main gearbox configured for coupling to a powertakeoff of the tractor; a central cutting deck mounted to a rear portionof the frame and spaced apart from the main gearbox, the central cuttingdeck being generally disposed in a neutral mowing plane; a centralgearbox mounted to the central cutting deck and coupled to the maingearbox with a central driveline, the central gearbox being operablycoupled to a central flail rotor having a plurality of flail cutters andbeing rotatable about a first axis; a wing cutting deck pivotallyconnected to at least one of the central cutting deck and the frame viaa hinge; a wing gearbox mounted to the wing cutting deck and coupled tothe main gearbox with a wing driveline, the wing gearbox being operablycoupled to a wing flail rotor having a plurality of flail cutters andbeing rotatable about a second axis; at least one wheel supporting thecentral cutting deck; and at least one wheel supporting the wing cuttingdeck; wherein the main gearbox is disposed a sufficient distance forwardof the central cutting deck and the wing cutting deck to permit the wingcutting deck to pivot about the hinge in a range of motion from amaximum downward angle with respect to the neutral mowing plane to amaximum upward angle with respect to the neutral mowing plane withoutdisconnecting the wing driveline from either the main gearbox or thewing gearbox; and wherein the central cutting deck includes a planformshape that permits clearance of the wing driveline with respect to thecentral cutting deck during a downward portion of the range of motionwherein at least a portion of the wing driveline is disposed below theneutral mowing plane. In some embodiments, the wing driveline and thewing gearbox may be operable to drive the wing flail rotor throughoutthe range of motion. In some embodiments, the maximum downward angle maybe between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees, and the maximum upwardangle may be about 90 degrees. In some embodiments, the first axis andthe second axis may be substantially parallel to each other, and in someembodiments the first axis and the second axis may be substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the secondaxis may be not substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, a mowing machine configured to be pulled by atractor in a direction of travel along a longitudinal axis of the mowingmachine may include: a frame; a main gearbox mounted to a forwardportion of the frame, the main gearbox configured for coupling to apower takeoff of the tractor; a central cutting deck mounted to a rearportion of the frame and spaced apart from the main gearbox, the centralcutting deck being generally disposed in a neutral mowing plane; acentral gearbox mounted to the central cutting deck and coupled to themain gearbox with a central driveline, the central gearbox beingoperably coupled to a central flail rotor having a plurality of flailcutters and being rotatable about a first axis; a wing cutting deckpivotally connected to at least one of the central cutting deck and theframe via a hinge; a wing gearbox mounted to the wing cutting deck andcoupled to the main gearbox with a wing driveline, the wing gearboxbeing operably coupled to a wing flail rotor having a plurality of flailcutters and being rotatable about a second axis; at least one wheelsupporting the central cutting deck; and at least one wheel supportingthe wing cutting deck; wherein the main gearbox is disposed a sufficientdistance forward of the central cutting deck and the wing cutting deckto permit the wing cutting deck to pivot about the hinge in a range ofmotion from a maximum downward angle of about 90 degrees with respect tothe neutral mowing plane to a maximum upward angle of about 90 degreeswith respect to the neutral mowing plane without disconnecting the wingdriveline from either the main gearbox or the wing gearbox. In someembodiments, the mowing machine may further include a counterweightattached to the frame at a location substantially opposite the wingcutting deck. In some embodiments, the wing gearbox may be disposedproximate and inboard of the hinge. In some embodiments, the maingearbox may include a connection to the wing driveline that issubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, a mowing machine configured to be pulled by atractor in a direction of travel along a longitudinal axis of the mowingmachine may include a frame; a main gearbox mounted to a forward portionof the frame, the main gearbox configured for coupling to a powertakeoff of the tractor; a central cutting deck mounted to a rear portionof the frame and spaced apart from the main gearbox, the central cuttingdeck being generally disposed in a neutral mowing plane; a centralgearbox mounted to the central cutting deck and coupled to the maingearbox with a central driveline, the central gearbox being operablycoupled to a central cutting tool; a wing cutting deck pivotallyconnected to the central cutting deck or the frame via a hinge; a winggearbox mounted to the wing cutting deck and coupled to the main gearboxwith a wing driveline, the wing gearbox being operably coupled to a wingcutting tool; at least one wheel supporting the central cutting deck;and at least one wheel supporting the wing cutting deck; wherein themain gearbox is disposed a sufficient distance forward of the centralcutting deck and the wing cutting deck to permit the wing cutting deckto pivot about the hinge in a range of motion from a maximum downwardangle with respect to the neutral mowing plane to a maximum upward anglewith respect to the neutral mowing plane without disconnecting the wingdriveline from either the main gearbox or the wing gearbox; and whereinthe central cutting deck includes a planform shape that permitsclearance of the wing driveline with respect to the central cutting deckduring a downward portion of the range of motion wherein at least aportion of the wing driveline is disposed below the neutral mowingplane.

In some embodiments, the central cutting tool may be selected from arotary cutting blade and a flail rotor having a plurality of flailcutters, and the wing cutting tool may be selected from a rotary cuttingblade and a flail rotor having a plurality of flail cutters.

In some embodiments, the wing driveline and the wing gearbox may beoperable to drive the wing cutting tool throughout the range of motion.

In some embodiments, the maximum downward angle may be between about 30degrees and about 90 degrees.

In some embodiments, the maximum upward angle may be about 90 degrees.

In some embodiments, the wing cutting deck may be oriented at anon-orthogonal sweep angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the wing cutting deck may have a swept forwardorientation.

In some embodiments, the central cutting deck may be disposed at about ⅔to about ¾ of a distance from the main gearbox to the wing cutting deck.

In some embodiments, the wing cutting deck may include a first wingcutting deck disposed on a first side of the longitudinal axis, and themowing machine may further include a second wing cutting deck disposedon an opposite side of the longitudinal axis from the first wing cuttingdeck, the second wing cutting deck pivotally connected to the centralcutting deck or the frame about a second hinge; a second wing gearboxmounted to the second wing cutting deck and coupled to the main gearboxwith a second wing driveline, the second wing gearbox being operablycoupled to a second wing cutting tool; and at least one wheel supportingthe second wing cutting deck; wherein the main gearbox is disposed asufficient distance forward of the central cutting deck and the secondwing cutting deck to permit the second wing cutting deck to pivot aboutthe second hinge in a second range of motion from the maximum downwardangle with respect to the neutral mowing plane to the maximum upwardangle with respect to the neutral mowing plane without disconnecting thesecond wing driveline from either the main gearbox or the second winggearbox; and wherein the central cutting deck includes a planform shapethat permits clearance of the second wing driveline with respect to thecentral cutting deck during a downward portion of the second range ofmotion wherein at least a portion of the second wing driveline isdisposed below the neutral mowing plane.

In some embodiments, the central cutting tool may include a first flailrotor having a plurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about afirst axis; the wing cutting tool may include a second flail rotorhaving a plurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about a secondaxis; and the first axis and the second axis may be substantiallyparallel to each other.

In some embodiments, the first axis and the second axis may besubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the central cutting tool may include a first flailrotor having a plurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about afirst axis; the wing cutting tool may include a second flail rotorhaving a plurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about a secondaxis; wherein the second axis is not substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the mowing machine may further include acounterweight attached to the frame at a location substantially oppositethe wing cutting deck.

In some embodiments, the wing gearbox may be disposed proximate andinboard of the hinge.

In some embodiments, the main gearbox may include a connection to thewing driveline that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view that illustrates a first embodiment ofan adjustable wing mowing machine.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the adjustable wing mowing machine of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the adjustable wing mowing machine ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the adjustable wing mowing machineof FIG. 1 shown with one wing configured downward below a neutral mowingplane.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the adjustable wing mowing machineof FIG. 1 shown with one wing configured upward and normal to a neutralmowing plane.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment of an adjustable wingmowing machine having swept forward wing decks.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the adjustable wing mowing machine ofFIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the adjustable wing mowing machineof FIG. 6 wherein one wing is configured upward and normal to a neutralmowing plane.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the adjustable wing mowing machineof FIG. 6 wherein one wing is configured downward below a neutral mowingplane.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of an adjustablewing mowing machine.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the adjustable wing mowing machine of FIG.10.

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the adjustable wing mowingmachine of FIG. 10 shown with one wing configured upward and normal to aneutral mowing plane.

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the adjustable wing mowingmachine of FIG. 10 shown with one wing configured downward below aneutral mowing plane.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of anadjustable wing mowing machine.

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the adjustable wing mowing machine of FIG.14.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of anadjustable wing mowing machine.

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the adjustable wing mowing machine of FIG.16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following terms as used herein should be understood to have theindicated meanings unless the context requires otherwise.

When an item is introduced by “a” or “an,” it should be understood tomean one or more of that item.

“About” means plus or minus 5%.

“Comprises” means includes but is not limited to.

“Comprising” means including but is not limited to.

“Having” means including but not limited to.

A “hinge” may be any connection that permits pivotal movement of thecomponents connected by the hinge with respect to one another. Forexample, a hinge may include one or more pin connections, rod and sleeveconnections, ball and socket connections, or the like.

“Neutral mowing plane” refers to a reference plane in which a centralcutting deck of a mowing machine is generally disposed for the sake ofcomparing an orientation of a wing cutting deck with respect to thecentral cutting deck. For example, a neutral mowing plane may be a planein which a top surface of a central cutting deck is generally disposed,with the understanding that a top surface of a central cutting deck (ora wing cutting deck) may or may not be completely planar. In someembodiments, a neutral mowing plane may be a plane in which an axis of ahinge is disposed, wherein a wing cutting deck is pivotally attached toa central cutting deck via the hinge such that the wing cutting deck maybe pivotally rotated about the hinge. In some embodiments, a neutralmowing plane may be a plane in which one or more cutting blades of acentral cutting deck are generally disposed.

“Right”, “left”, and “center” references are from a perspective of anindividual facing in the direction of forward travel of the mowingmachine.

As described in detail below, the present application is directed to awinged mowing machine that is useful for the mowing of grass and brush,and the trimming of shrubs and hedges (all such activity is generallyreferred to herein as mowing), most especially when such mowing may bedone on terrain in which there may be a need to perform the task at anangle from a neutral mowing plane. As the winged mowing machine mayinclude a central cutting deck and one or more wing cutting decks hingedto the central cutting deck, the mowing machine may be utilized insituations requiring the one or more wing cutting decks to be orientedat an angle with respect to the central cutting deck. For exemplarypurposes, an embodiment of a winged mowing machine will be generallydescribed as being removably coupled to a power-takeoff device of atractor. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that amowing machine as described herein may be utilized with any suitablevehicle that contains a power-takeoff device, including but not limitedto lawn tractors, UTVs, ATVs, trucks, or other suitable prime movers.Likewise, persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand thatmowing machines as described herein may have any suitable cuttingmechanisms, such as rotary cutters, flail cutters, or a combinationthereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, a winged mowing machine 10 may comprise several maincomponents, including a frame 20 and a central cutting deck 14, a leftwing cutting deck 16, and a right wing cutting deck 12 supported byframe 20. Frame 20 may include a tongue and hitch (not shown) suitablefor attachment to a tractor or other prime mover (generally referred toherein as a tractor) and a main gearbox 30 disposed at a forward topface of frame 20. Gearbox 30 may be connected to a power take off (PTO)of a tractor (not shown) either directly or by an intermediate couplingdevice, depending on the design and dimensions of the tractor. Maingearbox 30 may transfer power from the PTO to a central gearbox 32, 34,and 36 on each respective cutting deck 12, 14, and 16 via respectivedrivelines 22, 24, and 26 in order to power cutting blades in eachrespective cutting deck as described further below.

Central cutting deck 14 may be mechanically joined to frame 20, such asby welded connections or bolted connections, for example. However, otherjoining methods familiar to one skilled in the art may also be utilizedin place of welding or bolting, or a combination of such methods may beused. Central cutting deck 14 may be joined to wing cutting decks 12 and16 by means of hinges 72 and 76 such that the wing cutting decks 12, 16may respectively rotate about the hinges 72, 76 into positions above andbelow the neutral mowing plane. Although hinges 72, 76 are showngenerally parallel to longitudinal axis A_(L), which is generallyaligned with the direction of travel, in some embodiments hinges 72, 76may not be parallel to longitudinal axis A_(L). Wing cutting decks 12and 16 may be respectively supported by one or more wheels 62 and 66depending from the respective decks as shown. Central cutting deck 14may be supported by one or more wheels 64 depending from central cuttingdeck 14 as shown.

As shown in FIG. 2, central cutting deck 14 may have a central gearbox34 disposed at a top face thereof. Gearbox 34 may be coupled to maingearbox 30 by means of driveline 24 wherein power is transferred fromgearbox 30 to gearbox 34. Additionally, central cutting deck 14 may havea plurality of secondary gearboxes 44 and 54 disposed on a top facethereof. Although two secondary gearboxes are shown for exemplarypurposes, any number of secondary gearboxes may reside on a cuttingdeck. In some embodiments, no secondary gearboxes may be present. Insome embodiments, the secondary gearboxes 44, 54 may be coupled togearbox 34 or one another by means of secondary drivelines (not shown)so as to form a network of gearboxes ultimately powered by main gearbox30. In some embodiments, central cutting deck 14 may have truncated(e.g., angled or curved) forward outboard edges 74 to form clearancezones to allow drivelines 22 and 26 to travel through a wide range ofmovement passing through the neutral mowing plane as wing cutting decks12, 16 are pivoted about hinges 72, 76 without interference betweencutting deck 14 and drivelines 22, 26. Such a configuration may enablean overall length of mowing machine 10 to be minimized while achievingthe desired clearance between central cutting deck 14 and drivelines 22,26. In other embodiments, a desired range of movement of wing cuttingdecks 12, 16 and such clearance may be achieved without truncatedforward outboard edges of central cutting deck 14 if the longitudinaldistance between main gearbox 30 and wing gearbox 32, 36 is sufficientlylarge. Either way, such configurations may allow wing cutting decks 12,16 to be placed in operational downward positions (e.g., as illustratedin FIG. 4) at much greater angles than would otherwise be possible,which may greatly expand the range of sloping terrains that may bemowed.

Wing cutting decks 12 and 16 may also have a central gearbox 32 and 36,respectively, disposed at a top face of the respective cutting decks.Gearbox 32 may be coupled to main gearbox 30 by means of driveline 22wherein power is transferred from gearbox 30 to gearbox 32. Gearbox 36may be similarly coupled to main gearbox 30 by means of driveline 26.Wing cutting decks 12 and 16 may have a plurality of secondary gearboxesdisposed on a top face of the respective cutting decks. Although a setof two secondary gearboxes 42 and 52 on wing cutting deck 12 andsecondary gearboxes 46 and 56 on wing cutting deck 16 are shown forexemplary purposes, any number of secondary gearboxes (or no secondarygearboxes) may reside on a wing cutting deck. Secondary gearboxes 42 and52 may be coupled to central gearbox 32, and secondary gearboxes 46 and56 may be coupled to central gearbox 36. In some embodiments, secondarygearboxes may also couple to one another to form a network of gearboxeswherein the network is ultimately powered from main gearbox 30.Secondary gearboxes may be coupled to the respective central gearbox,one another, or both by means of secondary drivelines (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3, central cutting deck 14 may have one or a pluralityof rotating cutting blades disposed below the deck. For exemplarypurposes, central cutting deck 14 is shown with a set of three blades84, 94, and 104. In some embodiments, the number of blades included onan underside of a deck may correspond to the number of gearboxesdisposed on a top side of the deck. For example, each blade 84, 94, and104 may be associated with a respective gearbox 34, 44, and 54 on a topside of central cutting deck 14 (see FIG. 2) wherein a gearbox impartsrotational motion to an associated blade by means of a driveshafttraversing through the deck and onto which the blade is mounted. In someembodiments, the cutting area of adjacent blades may overlap so as toprevent gaps in the cutting pattern of the deck as the deck is pulledforward during mowing operations. Such an overlap may be about 6 inches,for example, or other suitable distance. To achieve such an overlap at auniform cutting height, in some embodiments blades 84, 94, and 104 maybe timed such that adjacent blades do not share the same rotationalposition concurrently to avoid blade interference. Similarly, wingcutting deck 12 may have a similar blade configuration as centralcutting deck 14 wherein wing cutting deck 12 includes blades 82, 92, and102 respectively driven by gearboxes 32, 42, 52. Likewise, wing cuttingdeck 16 may have a similar blade configuration as central cutting deck14 wherein wing cutting deck 16 includes blades 86, 96, and 106respectively driven by gearboxes 36, 46, 56.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, it can be seen that wing cutting decks 12and 16 may be disposed in an offset and overlapped position withreference to central cutting deck 14. As shown, the forward edge of eachwing cutting deck 12, 16 may be offset rearward from the forward edge ofcentral cutting deck 14. In some embodiments, the forward edges of wingcutting decks 12 and 16 may be substantially in line with one anotherand approximately disposed toward the rear one-third of central cuttingdeck 14. Wing cutting decks 12 and 16 may have an overlap with centralcutting deck 14 by means of a cut-out of an inboard forward corner ofeach wing cutting deck. Such a cut-out may approximately align an outeredge of central cutting deck 14 to inner blades 102 and 96 of therespective wing cutting deck 12, 16 such that the mowing paths of blades94 and 102 overlap and the mowing paths of blades 104 and 96 overlap. Insome embodiments, an inner edge of wing cutting decks 12 and 16 mayapproximately align with outer blades 94 and 104 of central cutting deck14. Such an overlap of decks as created by said cut-outs may create anoverlap of the cutting paths of wing cutting decks 12 and 16 and centralcutting deck 14. In some embodiments, blades 102 and 96 may be timed soas to avoid interference with blades 94 and 104, respectively.

Due to hinges 72, 76 and the location of main gearbox 30 sufficientlyforward of central cutting deck 14 and wing cutting decks 12, 16 (e.g.,in some embodiments, central cutting deck 14 may be located at about ⅔the distance from gearbox 30 to wing cutting decks 12, 16, or othersuitable proportion), as well as the clearance zones between centralcutting deck 14 and drivelines 22 and 26, wing cutting deck 12 and wingcutting deck 16 may rotate a substantial amount in relation to centralcutting deck 14. As shown in FIG. 4, all or a substantial portion of awing cutting deck (e.g., wing cutting deck 12 or 16) may rotate belowthe neutral mowing plane 300 to form a negative angle θ in relation tocentral cutting deck 14. Negative angle θ may include a range of motionfrom about 0 to negative 30 degrees, or about 0 to negative 45 degrees,or about 0 to negative 60 degrees, or about 0 to negative 90 degrees,for example, and in some embodiments the blades, drivelines, andgearboxes of the respective wing cutting deck may remain operational formowing throughout the entire range of motion. Additionally, referring toFIG. 5, it may be seen that a wing cutting deck (e.g., wing cutting deck12 or 16) may rotate above the neutral mowing plane 300 to form apositive angle θ in relation to central cutting deck 14. Positive angleθ may include a range of motion from about 0 to 30 degrees, or about 0to 45 degrees, or about 0 to 60 degrees, or about 0 to 90 degrees, forexample, and in some embodiments the blades, drivelines, and gearboxesof the respective wing cutting deck may remain operational for mowingthroughout the entire range of motion. For example, with wing cuttingdeck 12 or 16 folded upward in a positive 90-degree configuration, avertical hedge may be mowed. Such a configuration also enables mowingmachine 10 to be placed in a compact transport position (e.g., with wingcutting decks 12 and 16 folded upward in a positive 90-degreeconfiguration) without requiring disconnection of the drivelines 22, 26from the respective gearboxes 32, 36 or from main gearbox 30. Suchnegative and positive rotation of wing cutting decks 12, 16 with respectto central cutting deck 14 may allow mowing machine 10 to readily adaptto uneven terrain with little or no input from a user. Alternatively,such negative or positive rotational configurations of wing cuttingdecks 12, 16 may be set by a user, either manually or via a controlsystem. Although two wing cutting decks 12 and 16 are illustrated, someembodiments may include only one or the other of wing cutting decks 12and 16.

As shown in FIG. 6, a winged mowing machine 210 may comprise severalmain components, including a frame 220, a central cutting deck 214attached to frame 220, a swept left wing cutting deck 216 hinged tocentral cutting deck 214, and a swept right wing cutting deck 212 hingedto central cutting deck 214. Alternatively, in some embodiments, frame220 may include hinged portions to which swept left wing cutting deck216 and swept right wing cutting deck 212 are respectively attached toachieve pivotal motion of the wing cutting decks as described furtherherein. Frame 220 may include a tongue and hitch (not shown) suitablefor attachment to a tractor and a main gearbox 230 disposed at a topforward portion of frame 220. Gearbox 230 may be connected to a powertake off (PTO) of a tractor (not shown) either directly or by anintermediate coupling device, depending on the design and dimensions ofthe tractor. Gearbox 230 may transfer power from the PTO to a centralgearbox 232, 234, and 236 on each respective cutting deck 212, 214, and216 via respective drivelines 222, 224, and 226 to power one or morecutting blades in each respective cutting deck.

Central cutting deck 214 may be mechanically joined to frame 220, suchas by welded connections or bolted connections, for example. However,other joining methods familiar to one skilled in the art may also beutilized in place of welding or bolting, or a combination of suchmethods may be used. Central cutting deck 214 may be joined to sweptwing cutting decks 212 and 216 by means of hinges 272 and 276 such thatthe swept wing cutting decks 212, 216 may respectively rotate about thehinges 272, 276 into positions above and below the neutral mowing plane.Although hinges 272, 276 are shown generally parallel to longitudinalaxis A_(L), in some embodiments hinges 272, 276 may not be parallel tolongitudinal axis A_(L). Swept wing cutting decks 212 and 216 may berespectively supported by one or more wheels 262 and 266 attached to therespective deck as shown. Central cutting deck 214 may be supported byone or more wheels 264 depending from central cutting deck 214 as shown.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 6, central cutting deck 214 may have acentral gearbox 234 disposed at a top face thereof. Gearbox 234 may becoupled to main gearbox 230 by means of driveline 224 wherein power istransferred from gearbox 230 to gearbox 234. Additionally, centralcutting deck 214 may have one or more secondary gearboxes 244 and 254disposed on a top face thereof. Although two secondary gearboxes areshown for exemplary purposes, any number of secondary gearboxes mayreside on a cutting deck. In some embodiments, no secondary gearboxesmay be present. In some embodiments, the secondary gearboxes 244, 254may be coupled to gearbox 234 or one another by means of secondarydrivelines (not shown) so as to form a network of gearboxes ultimatelypowered by main gearbox 230. In some embodiments, central cutting deck214 may have truncated (e.g., angled or curved) forward outboard edges274 to form clearance zones to allow drivelines 222 and 226 to travelthrough a wide range of movement as swept wing cutting decks 212, 216are pivoted about hinges 272, 276 without interference between cuttingdeck 214 and drivelines 222, 226. However, as discussed above inconnection with mower 10, some embodiments may achieve the desired rangeof motion and clearance without truncated forward outboard edges oncentral cutting deck 214.

Swept wing cutting decks 212 and 216 may also have a central gearbox 232and 236, respectively, disposed at a top face of the respective cuttingdecks. Gearbox 232 may be coupled to main gearbox 230 by means ofdriveline 222 wherein power is transferred from gearbox 230 to gearbox232. Gearbox 236 may be similarly coupled to main gearbox 230 by meansof driveline 226. Swept wing cutting decks 212 and 216 may have one or aplurality of secondary gearboxes disposed on a top face of therespective cutting decks. Although a set of two secondary gearboxes 242and 252 on swept wing cutting deck 212 and secondary gearboxes 246 and256 on swept wing cutting deck 216 are shown for exemplary purposes, anynumber of secondary gearboxes (or no secondary gearboxes) may reside ona swept wing cutting deck. Secondary gearboxes 242 and 252 may becoupled to central gearbox 232, and secondary gearboxes 246 and 256 maybe coupled to central gearbox 236. In some embodiments, secondarygearboxes may also couple to one another to form a network of gearboxeswherein the network is ultimately powered from main gearbox 230.Secondary gearboxes may be coupled to the respective central gearbox,one another, or both by means of secondary drivelines (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 7, central cutting deck 214 may have one or a pluralityof rotating blades disposed on an underside of the deck. For exemplarypurposes, central cutting deck 214 is shown with a set of three blades284, 294, and 304. In some embodiments, the number of blades includedbelow a deck may correspond to the number of gearboxes disposed abovethe deck. For example, each blade 284, 294, and 304 may be associatedwith a respective gearbox 234, 244, and 254 on a top side of centralcutting deck 214 (see FIG. 6) wherein a gearbox imparts rotationalmotion to an associated blade by means of a driveshaft onto which theblade is mounted. In some embodiments, the cutting area of adjacentblades may overlap so as to prevent gaps in the cutting pattern of thedeck as the deck is pulled forward during mowing operations. Such anoverlap may be about 6 inches, for example, or other suitable distance.Gearboxes 234, 244, and 254 may be rotationally timed with respect toone another such that the outer blades 294, 304 may not interfere withthe center blade 284. Similarly, swept wing cutting deck 212 may have asimilar blade configuration and timing as central cutting deck 214wherein wing cutting deck 212 includes blades 282, 292, and 302respectively driven by gearboxes 232, 242, 252. Likewise, swept wingcutting deck 216 may have a similar blade configuration and timing ascentral cutting deck 214 wherein swept wing cutting deck 216 includesblades 286, 296, and 306 respectively driven by gearboxes 236, 246, 256.

As shown in FIG. 6 & FIG. 7, swept wing cutting decks 212 and 216 may bedisposed at an acute angle β that is non-orthogonal with respect to thelongitudinal axis A_(L) such that the swept wing cutting decks 212 and216 are not parallel with central cutting deck 214 but are swept forwardin relation to central cutting deck 214. Alternatively, in someembodiments, angle β may be obtuse and non-orthogonal in relation to thelongitudinal axis A_(L) such that swept wing cutting decks 212, 216 areswept rearward in relation to the central cutting deck 214. In someembodiments, orientation of swept wing cutting decks 212 and 216 at asuitable angle β may permit the blades (e.g., blades 282, 292, 302 ofswept wing cutting deck 212, or blades 286, 296, 306 of swept wingcutting deck 216) to be mounted with sufficient spacing from one anotherthat they may rotate in the same plane without hitting one another andwithout any need for timing (that is, their respective rotary paths maynot overlap) while still achieving overlap of the respective mowingpaths as the winged mowing machine 210 moves forward. For example, insome embodiments having blades of about 32 inches diameter on a sweptwing cutting deck oriented at an angle β of about 34 degrees, thecenters of the blades (mounting positions) may be spaced about 36 inchesfrom each other (yielding about 4 inches separation of adjacent rotaryblade tip paths) with no need for timing and yet achieve an overlappingforward mowing path of each adjacent blade. Additionally, orientation ofswept wing cutting decks 212 and 216 with respect to central cuttingdeck 214 as shown may create an overlap in cutting paths of inner blades302, 296 of swept wing cutting decks 212, 216 with respect to the outerblades 294, 304 of central cutting deck 214 such that the overall mowingpath of winged mowing machine 210 is uniform and continuous with noun-mowed gaps.

Due to hinges 272, 276 and the location of main gearbox 230 sufficientlyforward of central cutting deck 214 and swept wing cutting decks 212,216 (e.g., in some embodiments, central cutting deck 214 may be locatedat about ⅔ the distance from gearbox 230 to swept wing cutting decks212, 216, or other suitable proportion), as well as the clearance zonesbetween central cutting deck 214 and drivelines 222 and 226 in thevicinity of edges 274, swept wing cutting deck 212 and swept wingcutting deck 216 may rotate a substantial amount in relation to centralcutting deck 214. As shown in FIG. 9, all or a substantial portion of aswept wing cutting deck (e.g., swept wing cutting deck 212 or 216) mayrotate below the neutral mowing plane 300 to form a negative angle θ inrelation to central cutting deck 214. In some embodiments, negativeangle θ may include a range of motion from about 0 to negative 30degrees, or about 0 to negative 45 degrees, or about 0 to negative 60degrees, or about 0 to negative 90 degrees, for example, and in someembodiments the blades, drivelines, and gearboxes of the respectiveswept wing cutting deck may remain operational for mowing throughout theentire range of motion. Referring to FIG. 8, it may be seen that a sweptwing cutting deck (e.g., swept wing cutting deck 212 or 216) may rotateabove the neutral mowing plane 300 to form a positive angle θ inrelation to central cutting deck 214. In some embodiments, positiveangle θ may include a range of motion from about 0 to 30 degrees, orabout 0 to 45 degrees, or about 0 to 60 degrees, or about 0 to 90degrees, for example, and in some embodiments the blades, drivelines,and gearboxes of the respective swept wing cutting deck may remainoperational for mowing throughout the entire range of motion. Forexample, with swept wing cutting deck 212 or 216 folded upward in apositive 90-degree configuration, a vertical hedge may be mowed. Such aconfiguration also enables mowing machine 210 to be placed in a compacttransport position (e.g., with swept wing cutting decks 212 and 216folded upward in a positive 90-degree configuration) without requiringdisconnection of the drivelines 222, 226 from the respective gearboxes232, 236 or from main gearbox 230. Such negative and positive rotationof swept wing cutting decks 212, 216 with respect to central cuttingdeck 214 may allow mowing machine 210 to readily adapt to uneven terrainwith little or no input from a user. Alternatively, such negative orpositive rotational configurations of swept wing cutting decks 212, 216may be set by a user, either manually or via a control system. Althoughtwo swept wing cutting decks 212 and 216 are illustrated, someembodiments may include only one or the other of swept wing cuttingdecks 212 and 216.

Referring to FIGS. 10-13, some embodiments of a winged mowing machinemay include a flail mowing modality. As shown in FIG. 10, a winged flailmowing machine 400 may comprise several main components, including aright wing cutting deck 412, a left wing cutting deck 416, and a centralcutting deck 414 supported by a central frame 420. While a single leftand right wing cutting deck is shown for exemplary purposes, a pluralityof wing cutting decks may be included in some embodiments. Frame 420 mayinclude a tongue and hitch 410 suitable for attachment to a tractor anda main gearbox 430 disposed at a forward top portion of frame 420. Sucha hitch 410 may be a 3-point lift, semi-mount, pull-type, or othersuitable hitch design. Gearbox 430 may be connected to a power take off(PTO) of a tractor (not shown) either directly or by an intermediatecoupling device, depending on the design and dimensions of the tractor.Main gearbox 430 may transfer power from the PTO to a cutting deckgearbox 432, 434, and 436 on each respective cutting deck 412, 414, and416 via respective drivelines 422, 424, and 426 in order to power ashaft upon which are mounted cutting flails in each respective cuttingdeck as described further below. In some embodiments, driveline 424 maybe supported by a bearing 444 mounted to frame 420 between main gearbox430 and central deck gearbox 434.

Central cutting deck 414 may be mechanically joined to frame 420, suchas by welded connections or bolted connections, for example. However,other joining methods familiar to one skilled in the art may also beutilized in place of welding or bolting, or a combination of suchmethods may be used. Wing cutting decks 412 and 416 may be pivotallymounted to frame 420 by means of hinge rods 492 and 496, for example,such that the wing cutting decks 412, 416 may respectively rotate aboutthe hinge rods 492, 496 into positions above and below the neutralmowing plane. Although hinge rods 492, 496 are shown generally parallelto longitudinal axis A_(L), which is generally aligned with thedirection of travel, in some embodiments hinge rods 492, 496 may not beparallel to longitudinal axis A_(L). Wing cutting decks 412 and 416 maybe respectively supported by one or more wheels 462 and 466 dependingfrom the respective decks as shown. Wheels 462, 466 may be pivotablydisposed respective to wing cutting decks 412, 416 by way of wheelsupport arms 472 and 476 wherein such pivoting motion may be controlledby hydraulic actuators 452 and 456, respectively, in order to adjust theheight of the respective cutting deck 412, 416 above the ground andthereby adjust the cut height. Similarly, central cutting deck 414 maybe supported by one or more wheels 464 depending from central cuttingdeck 414 as shown. Wheels 464 may be pivotably disposed with respect tocentral cutting deck 414 by way of wheel support arms 474 wherein suchpivoting motion may be controlled by hydraulic actuator 454 in order toadjust the height of the central cutting deck 414 above the ground andthereby adjust the cut height.

As shown in FIGS. 10-11, central cutting deck 414 may have a deckgearbox 434 disposed at a top face thereof. Deck gearbox 434 may becoupled to main gearbox 430 by means of driveline 424 wherein power istransferred from gearbox 430 to gearbox 434, which in turn may transmitpower to a flail drive 404 via a driveline 405. Flail drive 404 maydrive a flail rotor having multiple flail cutters (not shown) on anunderside of central cutting deck 414. Similarly, wing cutting decks 412and 416 may also have a deck gearbox 432 and 436, respectively, disposedat a top face of the respective cutting decks. Gearbox 432 may becoupled to main gearbox 430 by means of driveline 422 wherein power istransferred from gearbox 430 to gearbox 432, which in turn may transmitpower to a flail drive 402 via a driveline 403. Flail drive 402 maydrive a flail rotor having multiple flail cutters (not shown) on anunderside of wing cutting deck 412. Gearbox 436 may be similarly coupledto main gearbox 430 by means of driveline 426, and gearbox 436 maytransmit power to a flail drive 406 via a driveline 407. Flail drive 406may drive a flail rotor having multiple flail cutters (not shown) on anunderside of wing cutting deck 416. Thus, main gearbox 430 mayultimately supply power to one or more flail rotors on an underside ofeach cutting deck 412, 414, 416.

Wing cutting decks 412, 416 may be disposed forward of central cuttingdeck 414 wherein said cutting decks may be joined to form an overallcutting machine by means of attachment to central frame 420. Pivot rods492, 496 may span and also join together central cutting deck 414 andthe respective wing cutting decks 412 and 416 so as to form a hingebetween each wing cutting deck 412, 416 and central cutting deck 414.The outboard edges of central cutting deck 414 may be overlapped withthe inboard edge of wing cutting deck 412 and wing cutting deck 416.Such an overlap may create an overlap of the cutting path of centralcutting deck 414 and each wing cutting deck 412, 416 to create acontinuous overall cutting path. Such an overlap of cutting paths may beabout 6 inches, for example, or other suitable distance. In addition,such an overlap of central cutting deck 414 and wing cutting decks 412,416 may enable the pivot rods 492 and 496 to span the central cuttingdeck 414 and the respective wing cutting deck 412, 416. In someembodiments, frame 420 may include a lateral member 450 configured formounting extendable and retractable elevation arms 482, 486 (e.g.,pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders), which may be connected to wingcutting decks 412, 416, respectively, with a pin connection at each endthereof, for example. Elevation arm 482 may be operable to raise andlower wing cutting deck 412 in pivotal motion about pivot rod 492, andelevation arm 486 may be operable to raise and lower wing cutting deck416 in pivotal motion about pivot rod 496. For example, elevation arms482, 486 may raise wing cutting decks 412, 416, respectively, to a90-degree transport position as shown for wing cutting deck 416 in FIG.12.

Due to the location of main gearbox 430 sufficiently forward of centralcutting deck 414 and wing cutting decks 412, 416 (e.g., in someembodiments, central cutting deck 414 may be located at about ¾ thedistance from gearbox 430 to wing cutting decks 412, 416, or othersuitable proportion), wing cutting deck 412 and wing cutting deck 416may rotate a substantial amount in relation to central cutting deck 414while maintaining operable connections of drivelines 422, 426 betweenmain gearbox 430 and deck gearboxes 432 and 436, respectively. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 12, all or a substantial portion of a wingcutting deck (e.g., wing cutting deck 412 or 416) may rotate above theneutral mowing plane 300 to form a positive angle θ in relation tocentral cutting deck 414. The positive angle θ may include a range ofmotion from about 0 to positive 30 degrees, or about 0 to positive 45degrees, or about 0 to positive 60 degrees, or about 0 to positive 90degrees, for example, and in some embodiments the flail cutters,drivelines, gearboxes, and other components associated with the mowingaction of the respective wing cutting deck may remain operational formowing throughout the entire range of motion. Additionally, referring toFIG. 13, it may be seen that a wing cutting deck (e.g., wing cuttingdeck 412 or 416) may rotate below the neutral mowing plane 300 to form anegative angle θ in relation to central cutting deck 414. Negative angleθ may include a range of motion from about 0 to negative 30 degrees, orabout 0 to negative 45 degrees, or about 0 to negative 60 degrees, orabout 0 to negative 90 degrees, for example, and in some embodiments theflail cutters, drivelines, gearboxes and other components associatedwith the mowing action of the respective wing cutting deck may remainoperational for mowing throughout the entire range of motion. Forexample, with wing cutting deck 412 or 416 folded upward in a positive90-degree configuration, a vertical hedge may be mowed. Such aconfiguration also enables mowing machine 400 to be placed in a compacttransport position (e.g., with wing cutting decks 412 and 416 foldedupward in a positive 90-degree configuration) without requiringdisconnection of the drivelines 422, 426 from the respective gearboxes432, 436 or from main gearbox 430. Such negative and positive rotationof wing cutting decks 412, 416 with respect to central cutting deck 414may allow mowing machine 400 to readily adapt to uneven terrain withlittle or no input from a user. Alternatively, such negative or positiverotational configurations of wing cutting decks 412, 416 may be set by auser, either manually or via a control system. Some components such asflail drives 402, 404, 406, drivelines 403, 405, 407, and wheels 462,464, 466 are not shown in FIGS. 12 & 13 for the sake of simplicity andclarity.

Although two wing cutting decks 412 and 416 are illustrated, someembodiments may include only one or the other of wing cutting decks 412and 416. Also, although wing cutting decks 412 and 416 are shown in astraight lateral configuration in which the axes of rotation A_(W) ofthe wing flail rotors are oriented substantially parallel to the axis ofrotation A_(C) of the central flail rotor and substantiallyperpendicular to longitudinal axis A_(L), in some embodiments wingcutting decks 412 and 416 may be swept forward or rearward similar towing cutting decks 212 and 216 described above such that the axes ofrotation A_(W) of the wing flail rotors are not substantially parallelto the axis of rotation A_(C) of the central flail rotor and are notsubstantially perpendicular to longitudinal axis A_(L).

For example, as shown in FIGS. 14 & 15, a winged flail mowing machine500 may be substantially the same as winged flail mowing machine 400described above except that left wing cutting deck 416 may be replacedby a counterweight 502, which may be attached to frame 420 by one ormore arms 504. Counterweight 502 may be sized and configured with a massdistribution and moment about longitudinal axis A_(L) as acounterbalance with respect to right wing cutting deck 412. In someembodiments, the one or more arms 504 may extend and retract and/orraise and lower (e.g., by means of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders)counterweight 502 to more effectively counterbalance right wing cuttingdeck 412 as right wing cutting deck 412 is raised and lowered asdescribed above. Alternatively, in some embodiments, counterweight 502may be substituted in place of right wing cutting deck 412, and leftwing cutting deck 416 may be kept in place as described above.

Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 16 & 17, a winged flail mowing machine 600may be substantially the same as winged flail mowing machine 400described above (see FIGS. 10-13) except that main gearbox 430 may bereplaced by a main gearbox 630, and deck gearboxes 432 and 436 may bereplaced by deck gearboxes 632 and 636, respectively. Some componentssuch as wheels, actuators, stiffeners, and the like are not shown inFIGS. 16 & 17 for simplicity and clarity. Unlike main gearbox 430, whichhas driveline connections 431, 433, 435 that are substantially alignedwith their respective drivelines 426, 424, 422 such that drivelineconnections 431 and 435 are angled outward, main gearbox 630 may havedriveline connections 631, 633, 635 (which are respectively connected todrivelines 626, 424, 622) that are oriented substantially parallel tolongitudinal axis A_(L), which may allow for a simpler and lessexpensive main gearbox/drivetrain design. Also, with deck gearboxes 632and 636 located just inboard of the hinge rods 492 and 496,respectively, and hence near the axis of rotation of the respective wingcutting deck 412 and 416, the range of movement of the deck gearboxes632 and 636 themselves may be significantly reduced, thereby reducingthe overall range of movement of the respective drivelines 622, 626while still achieving a full range of rotation (e.g., plus or minus 90degrees) of the wing cutting decks 412, 416. For example, in someembodiments, the orientation of the wing drivelines 622, 626 may bemaintained within a range of angulation between the respective deckgearbox 632, 636 and main gearbox 630 of about +18 degrees to about −22degrees as compared to the orientation of wing drivelines 622, 626 whenthe wing cutting decks 412, 416 are oriented in a neutral mowing plane.

Although the disclosed subject matter and its advantages have beendescribed in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe subject matter as defined by the appended claims and their legalequivalents. Among other things, any feature described for oneembodiment may be used in any other embodiment, and any featuredescribed herein may be used independently or in combination with otherfeatures. Also, unless the context indicates otherwise, it should beunderstood that when a component is described herein as being mounted toanother component, such mounting may be direct with no intermediatecomponents or indirect with one or more intermediate components.Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine,manufacture, composition, or matter, means, methods and steps describedin the specification. As one will readily appreciate from thedisclosure, processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter,means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developedthat perform substantially the same function or achieve substantiallythe same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may beutilized. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to includewithin their scope such processes, machines, manufactures, compositionsof matter, means, methods, systems or steps.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mowing machine configured to be pulled by atractor in a direction of travel along a longitudinal axis of the mowingmachine, said mowing machine comprising: a frame; a main gearbox mountedto a forward portion of said frame, said main gearbox configured forcoupling to a power takeoff of the tractor; a central cutting deckmounted to a rear portion of said frame and spaced apart from said maingearbox, said central cutting deck being generally disposed in a neutralmowing plane; a central gearbox mounted to said central cutting deck andcoupled to said main gearbox with a central driveline, said centralgearbox being operably coupled to a central cutting blade; a wingcutting deck pivotally connected to said central cutting deck or saidframe via a hinge; a wing gearbox mounted to said wing cutting deck andcoupled to said main gearbox with a wing driveline, said wing gearboxbeing operably coupled to a wing cutting blade; at least one wheelsupporting said central cutting deck; and at least one wheel supportingsaid wing cutting deck; wherein said main gearbox is disposed asufficient distance forward of said central cutting deck and said wingcutting deck to permit said wing cutting deck to pivot about said hingein a range of motion from a maximum downward angle with respect to saidneutral mowing plane to a maximum upward angle with respect to saidneutral mowing plane without disconnecting said wing driveline fromeither said main gearbox or said wing gearbox; and wherein said centralcutting deck comprises a planform shape that permits clearance of saidwing driveline with respect to said central cutting deck during adownward portion of said range of motion wherein at least a portion ofsaid wing driveline is disposed below said neutral mowing plane.
 2. Themowing machine of claim 1 wherein said wing driveline and said winggearbox are operable to drive said wing cutting blade throughout saidrange of motion.
 3. The mowing machine of claim 2 wherein said maximumdownward angle is between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees.
 4. Themowing machine of claim 2 wherein said maximum upward angle is about 90degrees.
 5. The mowing machine of claim 1 wherein said wing cutting deckis oriented at a non-orthogonal sweep angle with respect to thelongitudinal axis.
 6. The mowing machine of claim 5 wherein said wingcutting deck comprises a swept forward orientation.
 7. The mowingmachine of claim 1 wherein said central cutting deck is disposed atabout ⅔ to about ¾ of a distance from said main gearbox to said wingcutting deck.
 8. The mowing machine of claim 1 wherein said wing cuttingdeck comprises a first wing cutting deck disposed on a first side of thelongitudinal axis, and further comprising: a second wing cutting deckdisposed on an opposite side of the longitudinal axis from the firstwing cutting deck, said second wing cutting deck pivotally connected tosaid central cutting deck or said frame about a second hinge; a secondwing gearbox mounted to said second wing cutting deck and coupled tosaid main gearbox with a second wing driveline, said second wing gearboxbeing operably coupled to a second wing cutting blade; and at least onewheel supporting said second wing cutting deck; wherein said maingearbox is disposed a sufficient distance forward of said centralcutting deck and said second wing cutting deck to permit said secondwing cutting deck to pivot about said second hinge in a second range ofmotion from said maximum downward angle with respect to said neutralmowing plane to said maximum upward angle with respect to said neutralmowing plane without disconnecting said second wing driveline fromeither said main gearbox or said second wing gearbox; and wherein saidcentral cutting deck comprises a planform shape that permits clearanceof said second wing driveline with respect to said central cutting deckduring a downward portion of said second range of motion wherein atleast a portion of said second wing driveline is disposed below saidneutral mowing plane.
 9. A mowing machine configured to be pulled by atractor in a direction of travel along a longitudinal axis of the mowingmachine, said mowing machine comprising: a frame; a main gearbox mountedto a forward portion of said frame, said main gearbox configured forcoupling to a power takeoff of the tractor; a central cutting deckmounted to a rear portion of said frame and spaced apart from said maingearbox, said central cutting deck being generally disposed in a neutralmowing plane; a central gearbox mounted to said central cutting deck andcoupled to said main gearbox with a central driveline, said centralgearbox being operably coupled to a central flail rotor having aplurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about a first axis; awing cutting deck pivotally connected to at least one of said centralcutting deck and said frame via a hinge; a wing gearbox mounted to saidwing cutting deck and coupled to said main gearbox with a wingdriveline, said wing gearbox being operably coupled to a wing flailrotor having a plurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about asecond axis; at least one wheel supporting said central cutting deck;and at least one wheel supporting said wing cutting deck; wherein saidmain gearbox is disposed a sufficient distance forward of said centralcutting deck and said wing cutting deck to permit said wing cutting deckto pivot about said hinge in a range of motion from a maximum downwardangle with respect to said neutral mowing plane to a maximum upwardangle with respect to said neutral mowing plane without disconnectingsaid wing driveline from either said main gearbox or said wing gearbox;and wherein said central cutting deck comprises a planform shape thatpermits clearance of said wing driveline with respect to said centralcutting deck during a downward portion of said range of motion whereinat least a portion of said wing driveline is disposed below said neutralmowing plane.
 10. The mowing machine of claim 9 wherein said wingdriveline and said wing gearbox are operable to drive said wing flailrotor throughout said range of motion.
 11. The mowing machine of claim10 wherein said maximum downward angle is between about 30 degrees andabout 90 degrees.
 12. The mowing machine of claim 10 wherein saidmaximum upward angle is about 90 degrees.
 13. The mowing machine ofclaim 9 wherein said first axis and said second axis are substantiallyparallel to each other.
 14. The mowing machine of claim 13 wherein saidfirst axis and said second axis are substantially perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis.
 15. The mowing machine of claim 9 wherein said secondaxis is not substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.
 16. Amowing machine configured to be pulled by a tractor in a direction oftravel along a longitudinal axis of the mowing machine, said mowingmachine comprising: a frame; a main gearbox mounted to a forward portionof said frame, said main gearbox configured for coupling to a powertakeoff of the tractor; a central cutting deck mounted to a rear portionof said frame and spaced apart from said main gearbox, said centralcutting deck being generally disposed in a neutral mowing plane; acentral gearbox mounted to said central cutting deck and coupled to saidmain gearbox with a central driveline, said central gearbox beingoperably coupled to a central flail rotor having a plurality of flailcutters and being rotatable about a first axis; a wing cutting deckpivotally connected to at least one of said central cutting deck andsaid frame via a hinge; a wing gearbox mounted to said wing cutting deckand coupled to said main gearbox with a wing driveline, said winggearbox being operably coupled to a wing flail rotor having a pluralityof flail cutters and being rotatable about a second axis; at least onewheel supporting said central cutting deck; and at least one wheelsupporting said wing cutting deck; wherein said main gearbox is disposeda sufficient distance forward of said central cutting deck and said wingcutting deck to permit said wing cutting deck to pivot about said hingein a range of motion from a maximum downward angle of about 90 degreeswith respect to said neutral mowing plane to a maximum upward angle ofabout 90 degrees with respect to said neutral mowing plane withoutdisconnecting said wing driveline from either said main gearbox or saidwing gearbox.
 17. The mowing machine of claim 16 further comprising acounterweight attached to said frame at a location substantiallyopposite said wing cutting deck.
 18. The mowing machine of claim 16wherein said wing gearbox is disposed proximate and inboard of saidhinge.
 19. The mowing machine of claim 18 wherein said main gearboxcomprises a connection to said wing driveline that is substantiallyparallel to said longitudinal axis.
 20. A mowing machine configured tobe pulled by a tractor in a direction of travel along a longitudinalaxis of the mowing machine, said mowing machine comprising: a frame; amain gearbox mounted to a forward portion of said frame, said maingearbox configured for coupling to a power takeoff of the tractor; acentral cutting deck mounted to a rear portion of said frame and spacedapart from said main gearbox, said central cutting deck being generallydisposed in a neutral mowing plane; a central gearbox mounted to saidcentral cutting deck and coupled to said main gearbox with a centraldriveline, said central gearbox being operably coupled to a centralcutting tool; a wing cutting deck pivotally connected to said centralcutting deck or said frame via a hinge; a wing gearbox mounted to saidwing cutting deck and coupled to said main gearbox with a wingdriveline, said wing gearbox being operably coupled to a wing cuttingtool; at least one wheel supporting said central cutting deck; and atleast one wheel supporting said wing cutting deck; wherein said maingearbox is disposed a sufficient distance forward of said centralcutting deck and said wing cutting deck to permit said wing cutting deckto pivot about said hinge in a range of motion from a maximum downwardangle with respect to said neutral mowing plane to a maximum upwardangle with respect to said neutral mowing plane without disconnectingsaid wing driveline from either said main gearbox or said wing gearbox;and wherein said central cutting deck comprises a planform shape thatpermits clearance of said wing driveline with respect to said centralcutting deck during a downward portion of said range of motion whereinat least a portion of said wing driveline is disposed below said neutralmowing plane.
 21. The mowing machine of claim 20 wherein said centralcutting tool is selected from a rotary cutting blade and a flail rotorhaving a plurality of flail cutters.
 22. The mowing machine of claim 20wherein said wing cutting tool is selected from a rotary cutting bladeand a flail rotor having a plurality of flail cutters.
 23. The mowingmachine of claim 20 wherein said wing driveline and said wing gearboxare operable to drive said wing cutting tool throughout said range ofmotion.
 24. The mowing machine of claim 23 wherein said maximum downwardangle is between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees.
 25. The mowingmachine of claim 23 wherein said maximum upward angle is about 90degrees.
 26. The mowing machine of claim 20 wherein said wing cuttingdeck is oriented at a non-orthogonal sweep angle with respect to thelongitudinal axis.
 27. The mowing machine of claim 26 wherein said wingcutting deck comprises a swept forward orientation.
 28. The mowingmachine of claim 20 wherein said central cutting deck is disposed atabout ⅔ to about ¾ of a distance from said main gearbox to said wingcutting deck.
 29. The mowing machine of claim 20 wherein said wingcutting deck comprises a first wing cutting deck disposed on a firstside of the longitudinal axis, and further comprising: a second wingcutting deck disposed on an opposite side of the longitudinal axis fromthe first wing cutting deck, said second wing cutting deck pivotallyconnected to said central cutting deck or said frame about a secondhinge; a second wing gearbox mounted to said second wing cutting deckand coupled to said main gearbox with a second wing driveline, saidsecond wing gearbox being operably coupled to a second wing cuttingtool; and at least one wheel supporting said second wing cutting deck;wherein said main gearbox is disposed a sufficient distance forward ofsaid central cutting deck and said second wing cutting deck to permitsaid second wing cutting deck to pivot about said second hinge in asecond range of motion from said maximum downward angle with respect tosaid neutral mowing plane to said maximum upward angle with respect tosaid neutral mowing plane without disconnecting said second wingdriveline from either said main gearbox or said second wing gearbox; andwherein said central cutting deck comprises a planform shape thatpermits clearance of said second wing driveline with respect to saidcentral cutting deck during a downward portion of said second range ofmotion wherein at least a portion of said second wing driveline isdisposed below said neutral mowing plane.
 30. The mowing machine ofclaim 20 wherein: said central cutting tool comprises a first flailrotor having a plurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about afirst axis; said wing cutting tool comprises a second flail rotor havinga plurality of flail cutters and being rotatable about a second axis;and said first axis and said second axis are substantially parallel toeach other.
 31. The mowing machine of claim 30 wherein said first axisand said second axis are substantially perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis.
 32. The mowing machine of claim 20 wherein: saidcentral cutting tool comprises a first flail rotor having a plurality offlail cutters and being rotatable about a first axis; said wing cuttingtool comprises a second flail rotor having a plurality of flail cuttersand being rotatable about a second axis; and said second axis is notsubstantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.
 33. The mowingmachine of claim 20 further comprising a counterweight attached to saidframe at a location substantially opposite said wing cutting deck. 34.The mowing machine of claim 20 wherein said wing gearbox is disposedproximate and inboard of said hinge.
 35. The mowing machine of claim 34wherein said main gearbox comprises a connection to said wing drivelinethat is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis.